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Many professionals have difficulty in expressing ideas on paper which means that useful concepts may never be fully understood or valued. Effective report writing, the exchange of information, views, opinions, and decisions between people at all levels, internally and externally, make a vital contribution to organisational success.
Many professionals have difficulty in expressing ideas on paper which means that useful concepts may never be fully understood or valued. Effective report writing, the exchange of information, views, opinions, and decisions between people at all levels, internally and externally, make a vital contribution to organisational success.
This 17 session course aims to present a comprehensive overview of the essential elements of effective technical report writing and help delegates develop the practical skills required to write successfully, for an internal or external audience. It will teach the fundamental skills for technical report writing.
There are many downloadable resources provided including book chapters, quizzes, forms, activities, links and PowerPoint slides.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
1. Appreciate the importance of technical writing skills necessary in a professional context
2. Understand the stages in the preparation process of technical reports
3. Demonstrate the ability to pitch technical reports at the level appropriate to the intended audience/reader
4. Identify the essential features of reports, including format, linguistic and grammatical accuracy along with the choice and application of graphics
5. Apply the above principles to the production of effective professional, technical reports
This is the introduction to the course
This is the first session of the course. It provides definitions and explains why we write reports. It also provides you with an example of poor technical writing and presents ten rules for good report writing.
A brief test of your existing writing skills. Download the PDF file to complete this session.
In this video, we look at how to start planning your report. We also look at the importance of audience (your reader) and there is a practical activity using Handout 3 and your own sample report.
In this session, we will be looking at the important things you need to do before you start writing. This included timing, key messages and selecting data and materials.
In this section, we look at the sections needed in a "typical" technical report.
A brief quiz to test what you have learnt in this section of the course
When you complete this session you will understand the importance of drafting when writing your technical report
When you complete this session you will understand how to use graphics and illustrations effectively
In the last session for Section Four, you will learn how to complete your final edit
When you complete this session you will understand how to write in plain English
By completing this session you will learn about the use of jargon and acronyms. We will also explore design issues such as the use of fonts, and why you should not use "big words" when writing.
When you complete this session you will understand the key issues about spelling, punctuation, and grammar,
This is the summary session for the course.
In this session, you will learn how to proofread your document.
By completing this session you will know the difference between a "Summary" and an "Executive Summary"
A brief introduction to the activity on summaries, using your own report(s)
By completing this session you will learn how to prepare your printed report so that it is read.
In this session, you will learn how to verbally present your finished report.
The final session for this course.
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